The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus provided with a static eliminating member for removing electric charges from a sheet passed through a fixing nip portion.
In conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers, a toner image is carried on the surface of an image carrier such as a photosensitive drum and an intermediate transfer belt, and the toner image carried on the surface of the image carrier is transferred to a sheet, and then the sheet is sent to a fixing device. Then the toner image is fixed to the sheet under application of heat and pressure by the fixing device, and the sheet is conveyed to a discharge tray or the like.
The fixing device is provided with a fixing member comprising, for example, a roller or a belt, and a toner image is fixed to a sheet by the fixing member. The sheet to which a toner image is fixed by the fixing member has electric charges, and as fixing operation is repeated, electric charges attach to and accumulate on the surface of the fixing member.